Spy in a Little Black Dress - By Maxine Kenneth Page 0,99

out his final thought: “It is a far, far better rest that I go to…”

Now that Jackie was left alone, the ramifications of her deal fully dawned on her. She was now at the mercy of these three sadistic individuals, who had already proven their readiness to spill blood. She began to quake inwardly at the thought that they could do anything that they wanted. Maybe, in the end, bloodlust would win out over a love of money. Jackie just had to hope that she was worth more to Sanchez alive than she was dead. She would be counting the minutes until Emiliano got in touch with the American embassy and made plans for her repatriation.

In the meantime, she was alone. There was no Emiliano to come to her immediate rescue should the need arise. She had never felt so bereft in all her life. But as she usually did in moments like this, Jackie called on her religion and drew great strength from it. “But yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me.” If ever the words of the Twenty-Third Psalm had meaning for her, it was here and now, in this place.

Jackie’s prayer was interrupted by the sound of the driver speaking into the field telephone in the truck cab. After a brief conversation, he returned to Colonel Sanchez. Jackie heard him tell his superior that the armored train car could not reach the spur line near this fortress until morning. Colonel Sanchez looked at his watch and said, “We will spend the night here.” Addressing the driver only, he said, “Check inside and see what kind of accommodations there are.” To the sisters Death and Night he ordered, “And see if there is a cell where we can keep our friend here until morning.” With that, he dismissed Jackie from his sight and began climbing the stone stairs leading to the parapet, from which he would look out and survey his temporary new command.

Jackie was awakened by the sound of an explosion. She bolted upright from the rickety cot on which she had fallen asleep. The cot was located in a cell in one wall of the fortress. The walls were rough, and there were only narrow slits for windows and illumination. With little light and nothing to do, Jackie lay on the cot and fell promptly asleep, hoping that she would not have to endure the claustrophobic confines of this cell for too long.

The first explosion was followed by a second, then a third. Then came the sound of multiple machine guns being fired. More explosions. More machine-gun fire. It sounded like the fortress was under siege, and the colonel and his agents were defending their position. Abruptly, the machine-gun fire cut off, but the explosions continued at a rate of, Jackie reckoned, one every minute or so.

Jackie went over to the door. There was a small barred opening set in it. She had to stand on tiptoes so her mouth was even close to the bars. She called out, “Is anybody there? Is anybody there? Help! Help me! I’m being held prisoner here.”

Soon after, the explosions stopped too, and Jackie sank to the floor, fearful that she would be forgotten and left to die here. She got her second wind and was all set to commence her shouting again when a familiar voice called to her.

“Jackie?”

Jackie looked up. It was Emiliano. She couldn’t believe it. She felt a wave of gratefulness wash over her like a balm. She stood up and called out to him. “Emiliano, I’m here.”

Looking up through the bars, Jackie was relieved to see Emiliano’s face. With a half sob, she cried out, “Emiliano, I’m—”

But he cut her off. “Jackie, listen carefully. We haven’t much time. Is there a mattress in your cell?”

“Yes,” Jackie said, wondering why he was asking.

“Good. Now, I want you to take the mattress, go over to the corner farthest from the door, then crouch down with the mattress entirely covering you. Do you understand me?”

“Yes.”

“Do that and you’ll be free momentarily.”

“All right.”

Dutifully, Jackie lifted the mattress off the cot and remembered thinking that it was dark when she fell asleep, so she couldn’t see how stained it might be. Now she was grateful to have it. She dragged it to the corner that she judged to be farthest from the door, knelt down with her back in the corner, and placed the mattress